The Peloponnesian War has begun. An army of merciless Spartan invaders have arrived at the gates of Plataea, bent on obliterating the city and its inhabitants. Plataea's oldest allies, the Athenians, are spread too thin in their own campaigns to send help. Cut off and alone, the Plataeans dig in behind their high walls for the coming siege, while the ruthless Spartans gather outside. On a rugged mountain road, a young Plataean warrior named Nikias rides to Athens on an urgent quest. He carries with him a bag of ill-gotten gold, hoping to raise an army of mercenaries to help defend his city from the coming Spartan assault. But in the sprawling stronghold of Athens, Nikias encounters perils that prove to be more dangerous than those he has faced on the battlefield. Noble Smith's Spartans at the Gates is a thrilling action-adventure novel set during the war between the great powers of ancient Greece. Title Info. Pt I. One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen eighteen Nineteen Pt II. One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Pt III. One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen Sixteen Seventeen Eighteen Nineteen Epilogue "I loved this book. The writing is as tight as a phalanx, the action as bloody and satisfying as a well-cooked steak, and the characters are beautifully drawn and utterly convincing. Noble Smith brings the gory political struggles of fifth-century Greece vividly to life in a way that I haven't seen since the novels of Mary Renault. A superb historical novel by a master storyteller." "Crammed with twists and turns, Spartans at the Gates is a high-adrenaline tale of battle and intrigue, honor and treachery, that once underway never lets up its pace. Throughout the novel Smith's passion for his subject shines through, and the struggles against the odds of his young heroes, Nikias and Kolax, are told with verve and a keen eye for the detail of life in ancient Greece."
